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Newry Actors Meghan Tyler and Thomas Finnegan are really looking forward to their roles at the premiere of a new groundbreaking production in Belfast later this month.
'Aurora: A Modern Myth' presented by Prime Cut Productions, Ireland’s leading independent and award winning theatre company, premieres at The MAC Theatre, running from 24 October - 02 November, as part of Belfast International Arts Festival.
Directed by critically acclaimed Emma Jordan, this brand new work which includes a cutting edge animation and immersive theatre experience along with groundbreaking work by artist Dominic Montague, is sure to be a highlight of this year’s festival programme.
Cass is on a mission to save her friend. They’ve been close since childhood and she’s the type to do anything for her mates, even when the mate in question is a tree. She has a plan, an industrial strength chain, and a Live Feed… Set in a fictional Irish village following the opening of a new gold mine Aurora: A Modern Myth follows Cass’ protest as she and those around her (human and otherwise) grapple with what comes next for us and the planet we call home.
Both actors are proud of their Newry roots
Meghan Tyler
Tyler plays Cass in the production and has lots of Newry roots hailing as she does from the Dublin Road and her family from Derrybeg.
Tyler says from the start the stage felt like home "I trained with Morgan School of Dance as a kid, which introduced me to musicals. West Side Story at Abbey Grammar being a key one. The stage felt like home. I joined Sheridan Stage School as a teenager. Brenda Rankin-Sands was a huge influence in lifting my confidence to pursue this mad job as a career."
Winning awards for playing Juliet in Romeo and Juliet with Sheridan Stage School was a huge boost for her. "When I won awards for it, I was like, 'what? Are ye wise in the head?' It was a big moment of, 'right, I guess I'm not gonna be a vet then.' "
Explaining her role as lead character Cass Tyler says "I do not leave the stage for an hour and a half, so that's going to be quite a challenge. What excites me is how much range and play this character has. They are joyous."
She has appeared in many productions including: A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Gap Year, A Streetcar Named Desire (Lyric Theatre, Belfast), Pride and Prejudice *Sort Of* (West End &UK Tour), Variant, The Persians, The Weir Sisters (A Play, A Pie and A Pint), Medicine (Off The Middle with The Hope Theatre), The Merchant of Venice (Shakespeare’s Globe) The Crucible (Royal Lyceum Edinburgh) A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Two Gentlemen of Verona (Guildford Shakespeare Company), Hamlet (Citizens Theatre, Glasgow) Secret Show 1 (Blood of the Young/Tron Theatre), Lovers, Look Back in Anger (Cumbernauld Theatre), Nothing to be Done (Setkani/Encounter).
Tyler also played roles in Hope Street (BBC/Britbox), Almost Never (BBC), Shetland (BBC/ITV), Shrapnel (GMAC Film) and Ballywalter (Empire Street Productions). She also is an award winning writer.
Thomas Finnegan
Finnegan who hails from the Camlough Road plays Drew and Newpoint was where it started. Finnegan explains "I joined Newpoint players for the summer. Initially it was just to hang out with my mates who were going, but I ended up getting really obsessed with acting. I was very very shy as a child and teenager and I felt like I’d finally found a way to express myself somehow. And I guess it stuck."
He fondly remembers doing drama for A-Level in the Abbey. "I always remember having to do a bit of catch 22 for an assessment or something. And the rehearsal was basically just hanging around with your mates trying to make each other laugh. And being that free and playful and having that much fun is always something I’ve really tried to keep up and I’ve been lucky that pretty much all the jobs I’ve done have allowed me to do that."
Speaking on playing Drew in Aurora, Finnegan explains "The great thing about Drew to me is his innocence. There is something really pure and earnest about him and as the play progresses, he becomes a more positive force. It’s been so much fun getting to play that because it’s very rare (at least in my case) to get a character like that without there being some hidden agenda behind them. That’s been a challenge in a way too because sometimes being earnest can feel a bit exposing."
He has took part in the Lyric Drama studio and appeared in their production of ‘Our Country’s Good.’ He went on to train at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama appearing in ‘VS09,’ and ‘You Can’t Take it with you.’
Since graduating he has performed across all mediums. TV credits include ‘Game of Thrones,’ ‘Line Of Duty,’ ‘Ups and Downs,’ ‘The Windermere Children,' and Season two of 'Blue Lights.' Radio credits include ‘The fewness of his words,’ ‘Locked in,’ and ‘Not Now.’
Onstage he has appeared in the Lyric Theatre productions ‘Blackout,’ ‘ Here Comes the Night,’ ‘Lovers: Winners and Losers,' 'Romeo and Juliet.' Ciara Elizabeth Smyth/Prime Cuts co-production of 'Lie Low' at the Abbey Theatre Dublin, Traverse Theatre Edinburgh and Royal Court London, and the Lyric theatre/ Prime Cut co-production of ‘Red,’ for which he was nominated for an Irish Times award for Best Supporting Actor.
A thrilling genre bending experience
Written by Dominic Montague Aurora: A Modern Myth has been developed through Prime Cut’s groundbreaking artist development programme REVEAL* which invests in the development of independent artists at all stages of their career. Dominic’s dynamic and fearless artistic approach provides an inventive piece of writing.
When games, animation and live theatre come together magic can happen. Aurora: A Modern Myth will be a thrilling genre bending experience where different realities smash together. Utilising cutting edge gaming animation and immersive theatrical visuals developed in partnership with Ulster University’s Gaming and Animation Department, audiences will discover a new and exciting theatrical experience.
The production also features Maria Connolly (The Interrogator) and Conor O Donnell (Conn).
Aurora: A Modern Myth is funded with investment from Arts Council Northern Ireland, Arts Council Ireland: An Comhairle Ealaion, Belfast City Council and the Jerwood Foundation.
Looking forward to the premiere, Emma Jordan, Director at Prime Cut Productions, said “I’m so excited to be directing this play – its loads of fun with a searing message at its heart. Montague is one of our most exciting writers and visually this production is going to be stunning.“
Richard Wakely, Artistic Director of Belfast International Arts Festival, added “We are delighted to continue our close working relationship with Prime Cut Productions in 2024 by programming the World Premiere of Aurora: A Modern Myth by Dominic Montague. This is a significant new work created by some of Northern Ireland’s finest theatre professionals, which will also be featured in a special showcase of Northern Irish artists for visiting international arts programmers. We are delighted to have this World Premiere as part of Belfast International Arts Festival 2024.”
Caoileann Curry-Thompson, Arts Development Officer for Drama and Dance, Arts Council of Northern Ireland, commented:
“The Arts Council of Northern Ireland is delighted to support this new play from the multi award-winning Prime Cut Productions, thanks to The National Lottery Players. Written by Dominic Montague, Aurora has been developed through Prime Cut’s groundbreaking artist development programme REVEAL. Dominic is a dynamic, fearless artist and his creative partnership with Prime Cut brings about an inventive and genre-defying production. This is sure to mark a new moment in performance-making in Northern Ireland - I’d urge everyone to catch it as part of the 2024 Belfast International Arts Festival this autumn.”
Aurora: A Modern Myth will premiere at The MAC, Belfast from 24 October - 02 November 2024. To book tickets, visit www.themaclive.com. For further information on Prime Cut Productions visit www.primecutproductions.co.uk on Facebook, X and Instagram #auroraamodernmyth.
